Understanding Codependent Relationships
Sharing and caring, helping and looking out for each other are integral aspects of nurturing relationships.
However, such gestures can sometimes transcend the bounds of healthy behaviour and unknowingly harm the other person.
Codependency arises when people in romantic relationships begin to lose their individuality and become excessively reliant on their partners for their emotional gratification.
Typically, a codependent person assumes a caretaker’s role in the relationship, where his/her partner’s needs assume greater importance than one’s own.
Initially, codependency as a term was used to describe the partners of individuals suffering from alcohol addiction. Such partners often assumed the role of caretakers, supporting their better halves physically, mentally, emotionally, and even financially.
However, in the modern context, the definition has expanded to include all individuals whose lives excessively revolve around their partners, to the extent of neglecting themselves.
Codependency builds over time in relationships and can adversely affect one’s mental health, emotional stability, and personal welfare. The sudden absence of the need to care for one’s better half may cause traumatic repercussions on the codependent person. In extreme cases such as these, therapy for codependency or codependency counseling is an option worth considering.
What Causes Codependency?
- Exposure to a codependent upbringing (i.e. emotionally over-involved parents) in one’s childhood
- A persistent need to play the role of a caretaker in the relationship (sometimes due to the partner’s inability to take care of oneself)
- Low self-esteem or negative self-image and a constant need for reassurance
- A dysfunctional family environment throughout childhood and adolescence
Symptoms of Codependency
Some of the primary symptoms of codependency are as follows:
- Fear of abandonment
- Excessive reliance on one’s partner to reiterate one’s self-worth
- Overly attending to the other person’s needs and desires
- Establishing passive-aggressive control over one’s partner
- Seeking attention by playing the victim card
- Fear of having to relinquish control
- Concealing one’s true self and faking a more likeable personality
- Engaging in enabling behaviour
The Way Ahead With Safe House
As an esteemed rehab centre in Delhi, Safe House offers a homely and comforting environment for persons seeking codependence treatment and/or counselling by helping them work on their self-worth and develop their individuality in a positive, accepting, and serene space. Here are some ways in which we help codependent individuals:
- One-on-One Counselling and Therapy: The psychologists and counsellors at Safe House are well-versed with codependency and its symptoms and enable patients to reach out and express themselves freely. We utilise various types of therapies in our sessions, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation, and Reprocessing (EMDR), art therapy etc. Therapy helps patients reflect on their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and establish a healthier sense of self.
- Couple Counselling and Family Therapy: Couple and family therapy is particularly significant in the case of codependent relationships. Such sessions help sensitise the codependent person’s partner towards his/her state-of-mind and emotions. Couple counselling helps partners establish a healthy sense of self and others in the relationship, providing sufficient space for each one to thrive. Involving other significant family members like one’s parents and children also helps them strengthen their family dynamics and resolve unfinished business (if any) from the past.
- Yoga, Meditation, and Self-Care Activities: Safe House enables codependent individuals to find love and peace within themselves instead of relying on their relationships for validation. Yoga, meditation, and self-reflection help them connect with their inner selves and become mindful of their thoughts and actions.
- Nutritional Counselling: Proper diet and nutrition are significant aspects of self-care. Our psychologists and counsellors prepare exclusive diet plans for each patient, ensuring that they prioritise their wellbeing. Offering over 150 types of cuisine, our seasoned chefs cater to each patient’s dietary restrictions and specifications!
The signs and symptoms of codependency become evident over time, causing hurdles in the steadiest of relationships. The key to overcoming codependency is to build a healthy relationship with oneself instead of seeking fulfillment outside. We are here to help you build a bridge with yourself. Connect with us and start your enriching personal journey today!